Citizen Sluts

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COURAGE AND SACRIFICE FOR EQUALITY

July 6, 2015

A powerful story comes to the movies this Fall. Suffragette offers a window into the fierce determination of the brave women, who struggled for and won the vote for their gender in Victorian England.
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I'D RATHER GO NAKED THAN WEAR FUR

July 6, 2015

The I’d Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur Campaign was launched in 1990 by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals – PETA. It has become a cornerstone of PETA’s no holds barred campaign to make people think about eating meat, wearing fur, and being, in general, indifferent to the suffering and abuse of the wild and domestic animals with whom we share planet Earth. PETA, led by a force of nature named Ingrid Newkirk, is engaged in a full on assault on the public consciousness. For the average person, the path of least resistance is to take an 'out of sight, out of mind' attitude toward the meat they eat and the animal products they buy. PETA's approach is to find ways to deliver stark 'wake-up calls' that touch the average person's soul. The PETA I'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur campaign has aggressively and skillfully combined advertising technique and celebrity support to discredit the fur industry. They have made it unfashionable, even socially unacceptable, to wear fur coats or any kind of clothing made from animal skins. PETA produces public service videos that extol the benefits of a vegetarian diet, while showing the gut wrenching cruelty inflicted on millions of chickens, cattle, pigs, fish, and other animal species killed every day to feed our need for burgers, fillets, cutlets, and other types of cooked animal flesh. Here's a fact. It takes about ten pounds of grain and a lot of water to produce one pound of meat. History shows that humans can be very healthy eating lower on the food chain. Not everyone is going to become a vegetarian. I get that. But, everyone can consume less meat, much less meat. This step embraced by humanity would take us very far down the road to a future that is compatible with nature. It is a step that would save every one of us money. It is an essential way to keep life as we know it going over the long term. Compassion is a way of being worthy of our species. Kindness and compassion are the qualities we admire most in people. Such people try to avoid causing pain or suffering. They are certainly not indifferent to it, when they are fully aware of it. PETA is using sex to get the public's attention. Good for them. In the case of the In Your Own Skin' print ads and video, PETA features beautiful young women to lure in viewers, then they reveal 'in your face' clips of human brutality to animals. You are confronted with the ugly reality PETA wants you to see. If you look, and you are a compassionate person, you cannot be indifferent. Here is a link to the PETA website ... http://www.peta.org/ Here is a link to a PETA video PSA that showcases their I’d Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur Campaign https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xD6P3lSJXjk
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GETTING REAL ABOUT HUMAN OVERPOPULATION

July 6, 2015

GETTING REAL ABOUT HUMAN OVERPOPULATION Human population growth is shredding our planet's biological integrity. The human population has more than tripled in just sixty years. Each year, we are adding about 75 million more people. Every one of them requires food, water, and shelter. Every new person added to the population has a need for healthcare, education, and some kind of meaningful existence. We have to address this issue. Life is already way out of balance, in great part due to the sheer numbers of humans looking for a place at the table. Unless, we get a grip on this problem very soon, we are dooming future generations to an existence no sane person would wish for anyone. If you're skeptical about this, wake up! This outcome of this experiment will be seriously ugly, and it is as close to a sure thing as anything we've ever seen, unless...unless, we choose to mend our ways. The article below from The Huffington Post states the challenge very clearly. The numbers are stark. Reproductive freedom and universal access to contraception are crucial to achieving any kind of life worth living for future generations. _________________________ The Huffington Post | By Eleanor Goldberg | Posted: 07/11/14 EDT | World Population Could Almost Quadruple By 2100 If Access To Contraception Doesn't Improve World population levels could soar to explosive heights if contraception doesn’t become readily available to women in developing countries. Friday marks World Population Day, the United Nation’s awareness event that invites experts to assess population growth and its global effects. The population currently sits at 7.2 billion, according to the U.N. It will likely hit 10.9 billion by the end of the century, but could very well climb to 27 billion if fertility rates remain constant, according to the Population Institute. The impact of such swelling numbers could be devastating. Currently, 1.2 billion people live on less than $1.25 per day and one out of every eight people in the world struggles with hunger. The world is running out of land that’s suitable for food production and by 2025, an estimated 3.5 billion people are expected to be living in water-scarce regions. While the percentage of women using contraception is increasing, the figures are still not where they need to be. As part of its Millennial Development Goals, the U.N. had designated 2015 as the year for achieving universal access to reproductive health. But that goal won’t be met. It’s for that reason that the U.N. is focusing this year’s World Population Day on young people -- on fighting back against child marriage and pushing for improved access to sexual health. "For millions of young people around the world, puberty … brings not only changes to their bodies, but also new vulnerabilities to human rights abuses, particularly in the areas of sexuality, marriage and childbearing," Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, UNFPA executive director, said in a statement. "Millions of girls are coerced into unwanted sex or marriage, increasing the risks of unwanted pregnancies, unsafe abortions and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, as well as death or disability due to childbirth." Child marriage is now on the rise. An estimated 13.5 million girls have been married off before turning 18, according to a World Vision study released last year. But girls and women are eager to gain access to birth control. In fact, 222 million women in the developing world want to avoid getting pregnant, but don’t have access to a modern method of contraception, according to the Population Institute. It’s a lifesaving measure, experts say, the world can’t afford to overlook or deem too "controversial" to tackle. "It’s not controversial in many, many other places in the world. And just because it’s controversial doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do the right thing for women," family planning advocate Melinda Gates said in a New York Times interview last year. "If women are telling you that, 'I don’t want to have seven children, I can only feed two or three, but I don’t have a way to plan for those children,' we should do the right thing, regardless if it’s controversial."
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STORM LARGE - A SLUT WE LOVE

July 8, 2015

Portland, Oregon is home for a bigger than life character named, Storm Large. She's a towering blond beauty, and a performer with a passionate, worldwide following. She's sassy, fun, and unashamed about revealing ‘the real storm’. Her music reflects her values, which boil down to tolerance, kindness, and compassion. Storm Large is not just a talented, charismatic stage presence. She is also a gifted writer. On the opening page of her deeply personal, very engaging autobiography, Crazy Enough, Storm admits that she knew she was a slut when she was five years old. Storm doesn’t view the word slut in the ugly, pejorative way that society has labeled it. In her parlance, a slut is a female, who pushes the envelope; a risk taker, who lives life fully, warts and all. Storm makes no apology for being a rebel, with an outlier personality. She has lived her life brazenly, stepping onto uncharted territory all along her life journey. We love Storm, because we see her as one of us. She is a woman, who wears her good-natured, slutiness on her sleeve. She embraces being a sexy lady. She relishes her playful, naughty fun. She smiles a lot, and laughs a lot, and enjoys being a unique, out-sized personality. On the opening page of Crazy Enough, Storm tells us, “People think I’m nuts… They think I’m a boot-stomping, man-chomping rock and roll sex thug with heavy leather straps on my well-notched bedposts and a line around the block of challengers vying for a ride between my crushing thighs…” Storm calls it her manufactured mythology. To us, she is having a good time, living life fully, and unapologetically. These days, Storm is the brassy chanteuse for the globally celebrated, Portland based pop orchestra, Pink Martini. At the moment, Storm, her big pipes, and her Pink Martini buds are in Europe, selling out concert venues across the continent. There is one piece of Storm Large music that particularly resonates with our nation of sluts. It’s a song titled, My Vagina is Eight Miles Wide. It’s a friendly but firmly delivered demand for an equal and respected place for women in modern society. Here is a bit of the lyrical magic of, My Vagina is Eight Miles Wide… now I am not loose and I'm not a whore this is a metaphor for my super vigantastically mystical feminine goddess core and I hate it when women make that noise that we don't need daddies, men or boys even the hard-core dykes like cock-shaped sex toys Hell, yeah. That is the brand of feminism we Citizen Sluts embrace. We love men, but we expect them to accept us as equals without compromise, and to appreciate the things that make us different, and to see our interests, our desires, and our worldview, as worthy of respect. Storm Large is a slut hero. She is an icon for all we stand for. Her ‘Vagina’ anthem is an exciting affirmation of who we are. Here is a link to a video of the lubrilicious Storm Large, singing, My Vagina is Eight Miles Wide… Here is a link to Storm Large’s website… http://stormlarge.com/ Thank you Storm Large for being the vagintastical inspiration that we love.
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ONE THIRD OF THE WORLD'S WOMEN ARE VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE

July 9, 2015

One out of three women are victims of violence, according to a new study by the World Health Organization. That is an astonishing number, a truly astonishing number; shameful and entirely unacceptable. In many traditional cultures, women are still treated like chattel, denied education, considered valuable only for the work they can do and the children they can birth. Attention cavemen for whom misogyny is the norm. Get real dudes. Loving women, nurturing them, giving them the respect and the access to opportunities they are entitled to is a whole lot more satisfying than hurting them, degrading them, or causing them to suffer in any way. ______________________ WHO report highlights violence against women as a ‘global health problem of epidemic proportions’ New clinical and policy guidelines launched to guide health sector response News release 20 June 2013 | Geneva - Physical or sexual violence is a public health problem that affects more than one third of all women globally, according to a new report released by WHO in partnership with the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and the South African Medical Research Council. The report, Global and regional estimates of violence against women: Prevalence and health effects of intimate partner violence and non-partner sexual violence, represents the first systematic study of global data on the prevalence of violence against women – both by partners and non-partners. Some 35% of all women will experience either intimate partner or non-partner violence. The study finds that intimate partner violence is the most common type of violence against women, affecting 30% of women worldwide. The study highlights the need for all sectors to engage in eliminating tolerance for violence against women and better support for women who experience it. New WHO guidelines, launched with the report, aim to help countries improve their health sector’s capacity to respond to violence against women. Impact on physical and mental health The report details the impact of violence on the physical and mental health of women and girls. This can range from broken bones to pregnancy-related complications, mental problems and impaired social functioning. “These findings send a powerful message that violence against women is a global health problem of epidemic proportions,” said Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General, WHO. “We also see that the world’s health systems can and must do more for women who experience violence.” The report’s key findings on the health impacts of violence by an intimate partner were: Death and injury – The study found that globally, 38% of all women who were murdered were murdered by their intimate partners, and 42% of women who have experienced physical or sexual violence at the hands of a partner had experienced injuries as a result. Depression – Partner violence is a major contributor to women’s mental health problems, with women who have experienced partner violence being almost twice as likely to experience depression compared to women who have not experienced any violence. Alcohol use problems – Women experiencing intimate partner violence are almost twice as likely as other women to have alcohol-use problems. Sexually transmitted infections – Women who experience physical and/or sexual partner violence are 1.5 times more likely to acquire syphilis infection, chlamydia, or gonorrhoea. In some regions (including sub-Saharan Africa), they are 1.5 times more likely to acquire HIV. Unwanted pregnancy and abortion – Both partner violence and non-partner sexual violence are associated with unwanted pregnancy; the report found that women experiencing physical and/or sexual partner violence are twice as likely to have an abortion than women who do not experience this violence. Low birth-weight babies – Women who experience partner violence have a 16% greater chance of having a low birth-weight baby. “This new data shows that violence against women is extremely common. We urgently need to invest in prevention to address the underlying causes of this global women’s health problem.” said Professor Charlotte Watts, from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Need for better reporting and more attention to prevention Fear of stigma prevents many women from reporting non-partner sexual violence. Other barriers to data collection include the fact that fewer countries collect this data than information about intimate partner violence, and that many surveys of this type of violence employ less sophisticated measurement approaches than those used in monitoring intimate partner violence. “The review brings to light the lack of data on sexual violence by perpetrators other than partners, including in conflict-affected settings,” said Dr Naeemah Abrahams from the SAMRC. “We need more countries to measure sexual violence and to use the best survey instruments available.” In spite of these obstacles, the review found that 7.2% of women globally had reported non-partner sexual violence. As a result of this violence, they were 2.3 times more likely to have alcohol disorders and 2.6 times more likely to suffer depression or anxiety – slightly more than women experiencing intimate partner violence. The report calls for a major scaling up of global efforts to prevent all kinds of violence against women by addressing the social and cultural factors behind it. Recommendations to the health sector The report also emphasizes the urgent need for better care for women who have experienced violence. These women often seek health-care, without necessarily disclosing the cause of their injuries or ill-health. “The report findings show that violence greatly increases women’s vulnerability to a range of short- and long-term health problems; it highlights the need for the health sector to take violence against women more seriously,” said Dr Claudia Garcia-Moreno of WHO. “In many cases this is because health workers simply do not know how to respond.” New WHO clinical and policy guidelines released today aim to address this lack of knowledge. They stress the importance of training all levels of health workers to recognize when women may be at risk of partner violence and to know how to provide an appropriate response. They also point out that some health-care settings, such as antenatal services and HIV testing, may provide opportunities to support survivors of violence, provided certain minimum requirements are met. Health providers have been trained how to ask about violence. Standard operating procedures are in place. Consultation takes place in a private setting. Confidentiality is guaranteed. A referral system is in place to ensure that women can access related services. In the case of sexual assault, health care settings must be equipped to provide the comprehensive response women need – to address both physical and mental health consequences. The report’s authors stress the importance of using these guidelines to incorporate issues of violence into the medical and nursing curricula as well as during in-service training. WHO will begin to work with countries in South-East Asia to implement the new recommendations at the end of June. The Organization will partner with ministries of health, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and sister United Nations agencies to disseminate the guidelines, and support their adaptation and use. Notes to Editors: In March 2013, Dr Chan joined the UN Secretary General and the heads of other UN entities in a call for zero tolerance for violence against women at the Commission on the Status of Women in New York. During the Sixty-sixth World Health Assembly in May 2013, seven governments - Belgium, India, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, United States of America, and Zambia - declared violence against women and girls "a major global public health, gender equality and human rights challenge, touching every country and every part of society" and proposed the issue should appear on the agenda of the Sixty-seventh World Health Assembly. For more information please contact: Fadéla Chaib WHO Telephone: +41 22 791 3228 Mobile: +41 79 475 5556 E-mail: chaibf@who.int Jenny Orton/Katie Steels London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Telephone: +44 (0)20 7927 2802 E-mail: press@lshtm.ac.uk Keletso Ratsela South African Medical Research Council Telephone: +27 12 339 8500, +27 82 804 8883 E-mail: Keletso.Ratsela@mrc.ac.za About the report The report was developed by WHO, the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and the South African Medical Research Council. It is the first systematic review and synthesis of the
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V-DAY AND THE POWER TO TRANSFORM

July 9, 2015

The title of this piece is inspired by the first of four core beliefs of a beautifully focused, globally engaged non-profit known as V-Day. Founded by Eve Ensler, the celebrated author of a truly great piece of performance art known as The Vagina Monologues, the focus of V-Day is the empowerment of women around the world, with a particular emphasis on ending violence aimed at women. Four Core Beliefs of V-Day Art has the power to transform thinking and inspire people to act Lasting social and an cultural change is spread by ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Local women best know what their communities need and can become unstoppable leaders One must look at the intersection of race, class, and gender to understand violence against women As we move further into the 21st century, the number of civilization scale challenges we face is unprecedented. Seven billion plus humans are competing for a share of our earth's rapidly diminishing resources. Economic and social inequality remain rampant. Outright discrimination is a huge factor in the lives of well over half the world's population. The culturally ingrained oppression of women continues to be a particularly corrosive fact of life. We believe the path to a sustainable, dignified future for humanity requires that, to the extent possible, all forms of discrimination must be eliminated. Equal opportunity and fair treatment must become more than just a platitude. The empowerment of women in the economic and political arenas is critical to achieving this goal. V-Day is a global beacon for the rights and dignity of women. In February, 2014, V-Day's One Billion Rising campaign was launched as a worldwide awakening on discrimination and violence against women. V-Day doesn't take the easy road. One of their principle focuses is the ongoing genocide and violence against women in the African Congo. Violence and cruelty are an everyday part of life, particularly in the mostly lawless eastern region of the Congo. On a daily basis, the women of that region are a primary target for roaming bands of armed thugs, who use rape as a weapon of terror. For V-Day, there are certainly easier places where they could make a difference. We can't say enough about their commitment to stand with the women of the Congo. The fact is the entire African continent has been used and abused for two centuries by Europeans, and later Americans, who colonized and exploited its human, biological, and mineral resources. Perhaps the most egregious example happened late in the 19th century, when Leopold, the King of Belgium, had the audacity to claim the Congo, an area nearly as large as all of Europe combined, not for his country, but for himself. Starting in the mid-20th century, the European nations abandoned their African colonies. The whole continent has, for the most part, been a politically dysfunctional quagmire ever since. We are deeply concerned not just about the people of the Congo, but also about the other living wild animal species in that nation, many of which can be found almost no where else in the world. The Congo wildlife legacy is severely threatened by human population growth. Despite the ongoing genocide, the population in the Congo is expanding at a rate of nearly 3% annually. As of 2013, the population was about 75 million, up 350% from where it was 50 years ago. Moreover, a very substantial share of the Congo population depends on bushmeat (wild animals killed for food) for survival. As a consequence, in many parts of the Congo, wild animal numbers are plummeting. This includes gorillas, chimpanzees, and other primates; the closest living relatives to humans. Despite the severe nature of the challenges, the Congo is a place worth saving. V-Day is committed to that goal. We share their desire to make a difference. 'Art has the power to transform thinking and inspire people to act.' That is a core principle for V-Day, and that is the sentiment that motivates us as well to stand with V-Day in the fight for justice and equality for women everywhere..

Our Issues

AGAINST ANY KIND OF SEXUAL SLAVERY OR EXPLOITATION

20 million people are caught up in the illicit sex trade. 98% are women and children.

FOR AN ECONOMIC SYSTEM THAT WORKS FOR ALL

We stand for finance and tax reform that favors a broadly shared definition of prosperity.

AGAINST GENDER DISCRIMINATION AND VIOLENCE DIRECTED AT WOMEN AND CHILDREN

In many places, women and girls are still oppressed, often violently, with no voice, no access to education, no reproductive choice.

FOR A BROADLY SHARED COMMITMENT TO EARTH STEWARDSHIP

We must end our extreme reckless exploitation and destruction of nature and the biosphere.

AGAINST POLITICAL CORRUPTION AND VOTER SUPPRESSION

In the U.S., our political process is broken. It serves only the rich and powerful.

FOR SEXUAL TOLERANCE

We must accept ourselves as biological creatures, capable of a broad range of healthy sexual expression.

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